CLE Prepares Travelers for a Busy “100 Days of Summer” Travel Season

May 25, 2023

Press Releases

Cleveland Hopkins Prepares Travelers for a Busy “100 Days of Summer” Travel Season 

Anticipated summer travel passenger numbers to be the highest since 2019 

 

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is anticipating this summer travel season to be one of the busiest travel periods, post-pandemic. To date, passenger traffic is at 97% of what it was in 2019. 

This year, CLE is anticipating a steep increase in passengers to travel through CLE during the “100 Days of Summer,” which begins Memorial Day week and extends through Labor Day. CLE is anticipating more than 3.2 million travelers to visit. In 2022, CLE welcomed 2.8 million passengers during the same timeframe. 

To ensure traveler’s experience is of the highest quality, here are some important travel tips. 

Current projections indicate high volumes of travelers, especially during the morning hours of 6:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Lobby areas will be full. Travelers should anticipate extended wait times of 30 minutes or more to pass through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints. 

We urge anyone traveling this spring to plan ahead by making sure you allow plenty of time for check-ins and to pass through TSA security. 

For anyone who is planning on parking at the airport, we recommend checking our website before heading to the airport as available parking will be very difficult to find. 

 

Another important travel tip to remember is to check the status of your flight by contacting the airline. Current flight status information can also be found on CLE’s website, www.clevelandairport.com as well as additional info for parking, shopping and dining, and other services and amenities available at CLE. 

Follow CLE on Twitter at @GoingPlacesCLE and Facebook at facebook.com/CLEairport for airport tips and updates. 

Travelers have a variety of parking options when coming to the airport that includes: 

  • CLE Curbside Valet, $35 per day 
  • The Smart Parking Garage, $22 per day 
  • The Red Lot, $20 per day 
  • The Blue Lot, $20 per day 
  • The Orange Lot, $17 per day 
  • The Brown Lot, $14 per day 
  • The Grey Lot, $13 per day 

Picking up friends and family at the airport? Don’t circle the airport! CLE now has two Cell Phone lots for convenient parking while waiting for arrivals. Park and wait in the CLE Cell Phone Lot located off State Route 237 South, or at the new CLE Cell Phone Lot off of Hotel Road. Follow the blue directional signs for easy parking. 

It is illegal to park and leave your vehicle unattended anywhere on the ticketing or baggage levels. Anyone who is in violation of these parking restrictions will immediately be ticketed and the vehicle will be towed. 

RTA Red Line to the airport 

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) offers convenient service to and from CLE. 

For more information, visit the RTA website at www.riderta.com 

 

TSA travel tips 

Always have a government-issued ID ready to present at the airline ticket counter and security checkpoint. CLE’s Checkpoint Wait Times feature allows travelers to select the shortest security line or view the expected wait time at the closest checkpoint line. This amenity is also available on our website at www.clevelandairport.com. 

Be prepared for the screening process: 

  • Look through luggage to ensure no prohibited items are in the bag prior to coming to the airport. 
  • All three CLE checkpoints have Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines for passenger screening. Be prepared for metal detectors and x-ray machines for carry-on items. 
  • Remember the TSA 3-1-1 rule for carry-on items – Three ounces (3 oz.) per container, in a clear one-quart bag, one per passenger. 
  • Knives, scissors with pointed tips, pepper spray, and other such items are prohibited as carry-on items. For a comprehensive list of banned and permitted items, visit the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website at www.tsa.gov. 
  • Carry-on luggage is restricted to one bag and one personal item per person. A personal item includes a purse, briefcase, or laptop bag. 
  • Outer coats, jackets, and other such garments must be removed and put through x-ray screening. 
  • Children under the age of 12 years old do not require an ID and will not have to remove their shoes before going through security. 

TSA Pre✓™ is available at CLE and allows select frequent flyers of participating airlines and members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler programs who are flying on participating airlines, to receive expedited screening benefits. 

For more information on TSA Pre✓™ visit http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck 

CLEAR, the secure identity company using biometrics to build a frictionless and secure world, is also available for travelers at CLE. CLEAR is changing the way consumers experience the world by transforming the cards in their wallets into a single biometric ID. After a fast, one-time enrollment, members can begin using CLEAR immediately. CLEAR is certified as Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

CLEAR and TSA’s PreCheck programs are complementary. 

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